Richardson Hat Styles: Choosing Across the Range
A large blank range is hard to navigate by model number and easy to navigate by question. We work from the questions.
Four questions narrow almost any blank range: structured or soft, mesh back or solid, curved or flat brim and adjustable or fitted — and those four settle the model long before any number needs looking up. Model numbers describe combinations of those choices rather than a hierarchy, so a higher number isn't a better hat.
- Four questions settle most of it. Structure, panels, closure and fabric narrow the field fast.
- Model numbers are not a hierarchy. A higher number isn't a better hat, just a different one.
- Confirm current specs before ordering. Blanks change, so check the latest details first.
- Made in the USA, no minimums. One hat is a real order.
The Four Questions
- Structured or soft? Structured gives more design height and takes density. Soft reads casual and puckers under dense stitching.
- Mesh back or solid? Mesh vents and cannot be decorated. Solid is warmer and gives side and rear placements.
- Curved or flat brim? Curved suits broad audiences and packs. Flat reads contemporary and usually comes with a taller crown.
- Adjustable or fitted? Adjustable removes sizing questions. Fitted gives a cleaner back and needs measurements.
Answering those four narrows a range of dozens to a handful. Our note on how to choose a blank hat covers the process.
Answer the four questions before looking at model numbers. A range of dozens narrows to a handful and the numbers stop mattering.
Model Numbers Are Not a Hierarchy
A confusion worth clearing up, since it causes real mis-specification.
Adjacent model numbers usually indicate related products rather than better ones. A higher number is not a newer or upgraded version of a lower one and neither supersedes the other.
Two consequences.
Choosing by number is choosing blind. A number describes a combination of construction choices, not a quality level.
Nothing is being discontinued in favor of the next number up. Long-running models stay available, which matters for a program expecting to reorder.
Our note on Richardson 112 vs 115 covers a pair that illustrates this.
A higher model number is not a better or newer hat. Adjacent numbers usually describe related products with different construction and choosing by number rather than by specification is choosing blind.
The Families
| Family | Characteristic | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh-back truckers | Vented, economical, bold front | General purpose; the default |
| Structured solid-back | More placements, warmer | Corporate, multi-placement |
| Unstructured / relaxed | Soft, casual, less design room | Retail, lifestyle, gifts |
| Washed finishes | Broken in from new | Breweries, heritage, retail |
| Performance | Wicking, quick-dry | Sport, outdoor work |
| Outdoor / rope | Aesthetic-led | Guides, breweries, retail |
Most programs land in the first three and the rest are specialisations.
Our note on Richardson outdoor hats covers the outdoor-leaning models.
Start From the Artwork
The habit that avoids the most rework.
A blank chosen before the artwork often turns out not to suit it. A design with solid fills needs a structured panel; a design needing a rear mark needs a solid back; a large stacked lockup needs a taller crown.
Three questions the artwork answers.
- Is it dense? If yes, structured or foam front.
- Is it tall or stacked? If yes, a taller crown.
- Is there more than one placement? If yes, avoid mesh sides and back.
Our note covers panel sizes.
- Choosing by model number. It describes construction, not quality.
- Picking the blank before the artwork. It often will not suit.
- Assuming colorway ranges match across models. They vary considerably.
- Not recording the exact model ordered. Reorders will not match.
Comparing Suppliers
Worth a note, since most programs eventually consider more than one blank manufacturer.
The four questions apply across suppliers as readily as within one range. Structured or soft, mesh or solid, curved or flat, adjustable or fitted — every manufacturer offers combinations of the same choices.
Three things that genuinely differ between suppliers.
- Colorway breadth. Some ranges are far wider than others, which matters for brand-color matching.
- Sizing consistency. Adjustment ranges vary slightly, so a group order should stay with one supplier rather than mixing.
- Availability and stability. Long-running models from established suppliers are the safer basis for a program expecting to reorder for years.
What rarely differs meaningfully is decoration. A design digitized for one supplier's structured trucker generally runs on another's without rework, provided the construction matches.
The practical guidance is to choose on colorway, availability and fit rather than on brand name and then stay with that choice for the life of the program.
Colorway Ranges Vary
A practical constraint that catches programs out.
Core models carry far wider color ranges than specialist ones. A colorway available in a flagship trucker may not exist in an unstructured, performance or rope version.
Two habits protect a program. Confirm the colorway exists in the specific model before designing around it. And for multi-model programs, choose a colorway available across all of them so the range reads consistent.
Our note on Richardson 112 hat colors covers a wide range.
Confirm Specs and Record What You Order
Two habits worth building into any repeat program.
Confirm the current specification before finalizing a design. Manufacturers revise blanks between production years, so a description accurate one year may not describe the current version.
Record the exact model and colorway. "Navy/White, model X" is unambiguous; "the navy trucker" is not and a year later nobody remembers which.
Dye lots also vary slightly between production runs, which is normal and usually imperceptible. Where exact matching matters across a large program, ordering in one run removes the question.
Our note on Richardson vs Yupoong covers comparing suppliers.
What We Tell Customers Who Ask
Blank prices vary by model rather than by range position, so a specialist model is not automatically more expensive than a core one. Choose by fit to the program.
Core long-running models are the safer choice for a program expected to reorder for years, since availability and colorways stay stable.
For Florida programs, mesh-back and vented builds are the practical default across every family. Ventilation decides whether a hat gets worn here.
Answer the four questions, check the artwork against the panel, confirm the colorway exists in that model and record exactly what you ordered.
We narrow a large range by what your program and artwork need rather than by model number, because numbers describe construction rather than quality. Free digital proof, free artwork setup on twelve or more, no minimums.
Richardson 112 vs 115, Richardson 111 hats, Richardson outdoor hats.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose from a large blank range?
Four questions. Structured or soft, mesh back or solid, curved or flat brim, adjustable or fitted. Those narrow a range of dozens to a handful before any model number matters.
Does a higher model number mean a better hat?
No. Adjacent numbers usually describe related products with different construction rather than a quality hierarchy and neither supersedes the other.
Should I choose the blank or the artwork first?
Let the artwork inform the blank. A dense design needs a structured panel, a rear mark needs a solid back and a tall lockup needs a taller crown.
Do all models come in the same colors?
No. Core models carry far wider ranges than specialist ones, so confirm a colorway exists in the specific model before designing around it.
Why record the exact model ordered?
So a reorder matches. A description like the navy trucker is ambiguous a year later, where a model and colorway reference is not.
Do specifications change?
Yes. Manufacturers revise blanks between production years, so confirm current specs before finalizing a design around a particular model.
Is there a minimum order?
No. One hat is a real order and artwork setup is free on orders of twelve or more.
Four questions, then the model number stops mattering. Order custom hats — start on the quick order page — every construction, matched to your artwork. Free digital proof before production, free artwork setup on twelve or more, no minimums. Browse custom hats.
Customer favorite: Richardson 112 Snapback Trucker.
Popular blank: Yupoong 6606 Retro Trucker. Browse all custom Richardson hats.
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